Reference is made to Applicant's International Patent Application No. PCT/IE2004/000003, Publication No. WO 2004/062392, in which there is described a pressure release arrangement for stream treatment of product to be peeled in a steam peeling system. A valve is described for enabling release of pressurized steam from a pressure vessel, the valve has a steam inlet flange and a steam outlet flange and is self-sealing, and being held closed during operation by steam pressure from steam peeling system. When not in use, a pneumatic device keeps the valve closed.
The elbow type shape of the valve body of the prior art mentioned above was primarily used to aid in the efficient and rapid exhaustion of steam from the pressure release system. The system is biased for the steam to exit the steam outlet flange. However, the steam arriving at high velocity from the pressure vessel during the exhaustion phase would also meet the elbow type shape of the valve body wall and thus, further directing the steam to exit via the steam outlet flange.
A problem that arises with the valve body of the prior art peeling system above is that carry-over of solids, corroding agents, and chlorides from the pressure vessel during steam exhaustion come in contact with the internal wall of the valve body at high velocity. The solids, corroding agents, and chlorides travel in a linear plane in the steam flow and come in contact with the inner wall of the valve body at the point where the valve body curves to form the steam outlet flange. The constant impact of the carry-over solids, corroding agents, and chlorides at this point causes gradual wear, cracking, and erosion of the valve body, which leads the user having to replace the damaged valve body.
It is an object of the present invention to address the above problems experienced by the prior art valve bodies, and provide an improved valve body for use with steam peeling systems, or controlled release of steam pressure.